Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

I am an Account Executive & Social Media Strategist at Profiles, Inc., a full service public relations, marketing and event planning firm in Baltimore, Md. I have been with the company since graduating in May 2008 from Stevenson University where I studied communications and public relations. Before graduating, I completed many paid and unpaid internships in both the public and private sectors in profit and non-profit environments. I have completed two government internships, one of which, was at the Pentagon in our Nation's capital. As a Junior Account Executive for Profiles, I assist in the management and coordination of the media relations, promotions, event management and marketing outreach for many Baltimore-area clients. Currently, I work with such local restaurants as RA Sushi Bar and Restaurant and Baltimore's newest dining establishment, B&O American Brasserie. Other clients include the Maryland Athletic Club, the National Aquarium, Baltimore magazine and the Baltimore School for the Arts.

I am an experienced social media and web 2.0 communications strategist for my company and our community. I am particularly qualified in creating strategic social media campaigns for restaurants. As the social media arm of my company, I am responsible for building social media, web 2.0 and other viral campaigns for us and our many clients. This includes the incorporation of strategic thinking in terms of online promotion, innovative presentation and creative networking on social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Digg, Google, Reddit and many, many more. I provide advice about sensible social media strategy to my company, our clients, students at local colleges and universities, other public relations and marketing professionals and journalists.

I have a personal blog: www.NumbersNotInvited.com. I also blog topic-specific for www.whosyourdachshund.com and Monster.com's MediaBuzz. You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/bridgetforney (@BridgetForney).

www.Facebook.com/BridgetForney
www.linkedin.com/in/bridgetforney
www.Twitter.com/BridgetForney

Work History

• Profiles, Inc.
• Account Executive & Social Media Strategist
• May 2008 to Present

• I currently work with two restaurant clients, RA Sushi Bar & Restaurant and the new B&O American Brasserie. I work on RA Sushi's behalf to promote the company’s first east coast location as a prime entertainment and sushi bar hot spot which includes event planning coordination and assistance, media outreach, grassroots marketing and spearheading any and all social media campaigns. I work on behalf of the B&O American Brasserie as an advocate for their original and tasty brasserie menu, delectably original cocktail creations and comfortably energetic atmosphere. Most recently, I assisted in the grand opening of the restaurant and continue to help with the planning of other similar media outreach events.

  Other clients include the Baltimore School for the Arts, the Maryland Athletic Club & Wellness Center, the Saint Agnes Foundation and Baltimore magazine, among others. I assist with the social media strategy, media outreach initiatives, event planning and much more for each client.

• Weber Shandwick
• Public Relations Intern
• January 2008 to May 2008

• As an Account Services Intern in the marketing department of Weber Shandwick, I assisted in building the foundations necessary in order to successfully pursue complete marketing solutions for our clients.

  By conducting research, developing and updating media lists, and assembling and distributing press materials for clients, I learned the stepping stones of public relations and event planning for national clients such as Kettler, Honeywell, and HealthEast.

  In developing media lists, media advisories, and proactively pitching media coverage for these nationally recognized companies, I learned the foundation of community outreach and the basics of grassroots and guerrilla marketing.

  As a part of our public relations efforts and client deliverables, I learned the importance of and science behind evaluating and capturing PR success and I still apply it to the work I do today.

• Stevenson University
• Editor-in-chief, The Villager
• August 2005 to May 2008

• As Editor-in-chief, I provided leadership and direction for page stories, investigative pieces and A-list interviews. As the liaison between the newspaper staff and the student body, faculty, administration and community, I acted as the spokesperson at meetings and conventions and in correspondence. In overseeing the Villager staff, I assigned all stories and established deadlines for each. In consultation with the adviser, I organized the overall production of the newspaper, including all copy editing, computer inputting and formatting, pagination, and proofreading.

  The experience put me on the receiving end of press releases and student and faculty pitches for the first time. Working for the newspaper gave me a greater respect for those in the journalism industry with special insight into media-PR partnerships allowing me to seek out, establish and maintain successful business relationships with media today.

Education

• Stevenson University
• Business Communications, Journalism, Public Relations
• 2004 - 2008

• Leonardtown High School
• 2000 - 2004